Fire and Ice: The Volturi Queen
by PersephoneQueenOfDeath
Summary: Persy Swan, niece of Charlie, cousin of Bella, is a special woman with special gifts. Her life was anything but average and that was before her cousin got involved with the Cullens. Persy had no idea that her cousin's choice would change her entire life. Stalkers, vampires, love, and friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone,**

**This is my first fic and I am happy to finally begin posting it. This story begins a week before Bella arrives in Forks and will continue past Breaking Dawn. My story is rated M for a reason and will contain violence, death, sex (between multiple people at times), etc. If you, at any time, decide you don't wish to continue reading than I wish you all the best in finding a fic more to your liking.**

**Much Love,**

**Persephone.**

* * *

**Chapter One**

Persy didn't want to be working tonight. It had nothing to do with Carver's Café and more to do with the splitting headache she was currently dealing with. Her _ability_ wasn't making things easy for her and the headache meant she was unable to block out everyone's thoughts as she usually would. Already, she had felt like slapping two regulars for their dirty thoughts about her, especially since their wives were sitting just across from them thinking about how much they loved their faithful husbands. It made her sick. More so when she heard one of the women thinking about telling her husband that she was expecting their first child whilst he was too busy thinking about what he wanted Persy to do with her mouth; and it had nothing to do with asking for his order or giving him a smile.

"_Damn, Persy sure has grown up…"_

"_I can't believe he fired me because…"_

"_Stupid bitch still doesn't know how much I want a divorce…"_

"…_I just wanna wrap those long legs around my waist as I pound into that sweet p…"_

That last thought had been aimed at her as she walked past a particularly shady regular who only ever seemed to frequent the tables assigned to Persy. She walked past him, not daring to look in his direction as she hurried to the back of the diner and practically flew into Janie's office before she slammed the door shut. Persy covered her ears with her hands, shaking her head as she tried to drown out the sounds like she usually did. It wasn't working, and she felt a tear fall from her eye as the thoughts of everyone in the diner only managed to worsen her headache.

"Persy?"

She barely registered Janie's voice coming from the corner of the room where her desk was and jumped when her slim hands settled on Persy's petite shoulders, squeezing gently. "Persy, hey, look at me," she spoke softly, waiting patiently for Persy's dark eyes to meet her light ones. Through slightly blurred eyes, Persy could see the concern on Janie's as she looked her over. "You okay?" she asked, her voice still quiet and soothing.

For a moment, Persy thought about telling her everything was fine; that quickly came to a halt as when her boss's thoughts rang out in her head.

"_God, she looks so much like her mum"_

"_Poor dear, such a tradgety what happened to her parents."_

"_It must be hard; living alone in that big house all alone. So many memories in that big ol' place."_

"I'm not feelin' too good, Janie," she replied, trying to drown out her thoughts.

"You need me to call someone to come pick you up?" she asked immediately and Persy smiled at her thoughtfulness.

Persy nodded, straightening up and releasing a breath as Janie's hands fell from her shoulders before she stood. "Could you call Tye?" she asked, already knowing her best friend was free tonight.

Janie's nose wrinkled at the mention of her sometimes overly-aggressive friend but nodded and made her way over to the phone in her office regardless. Persy only spoke to give her Tye's number and barely heard a word Janie spoke on the phone as she moved over to the dusty couch in the corner and sat down heavily. She raised her knees to her chest and rested her arms over her knees as she buried her head in her arms and tried to think of anything except the thoughts of others that seemed to be running rampant in her mind.

Persy blamed her lack of mental shields on the fact she was just getting over a cold and the splitting headache that seemed determined to cripple her for the rest of the evening. She only looked up when the couch dipped, resting her chin on her arm as she looked over at Janie. "Tye's on his way, darling," she told Persy gently, her hand moving to Persy's arm where she squeezed her bicep softly, "wanna tell me what's going on tonight?"

"I've just gotta headache, Janie," she assured the older woman, not wanting to tell her the full truth, "don't go worrying about me; I just need to get some sleep."

"_I'm always going to worry about you, sweetheart; it's what your mum would have wanted."_

"You want me to call your uncle and tell him you're leaving work early? I know he worry's about you," Janie began and Persy just shook her head.

"It's Saturday so uncle Charlie's spending time at Billy's," Persy replied absentmindedly, using the pads on her fingers to rub her aching temples.

"_Where's that stupid redheaded bitch with my burger?"_

"_Why can't he stare at my tits like that? Maybe I should get implants like he was telling me to last month."_

"_Why are mom and dad always fighting?"_

"_God, she's only ten years older than me. This is so embarrassing. Why'd she have to be my stepmom? Couldn't he just find someone his own age?"_

Persy was lost in the voices when the door to Janie's office suddenly flew open, the handle hitting the wall behind it harshly as Tye charged into the room. "Where's my baby girl?!" Tye yelled the moment he was in the room before he saw Janie and Persy sitting on the couch. Persy wanted to smile when she saw Janie roll her eyes and languidly drop her hand from Persy's arm but her head hurt too much. The next thing she knew, she was being hoisted off the chair and dragged from the small office by her best friend. "Come on, Perse," Tye began, making his way through the diner and glaring at anyone who dared to look their way. Any other night, Persy would have scolded him for his lack of manners but she was too tired and simply wanted to go to bed and rest for the night.

"Goodnight, Janie," she managed to throw over her shoulder before she was being dragged out of the diner and into the parking lot. It was cold at night in Forks but Persy was used to the frigid temperature after growing up in the little town. That didn't mean she didn't shiver when the frigid air caressed her flushed skin; after all, she was only wearing a shirt and shorts. "Tye, would stop dragging me around?!" she exclaimed as Tye's incessant tugging didn't cease the moment they left the diner.

Tye didn't answer her but he did drop her hand and Persy gingerly rubbed the reddened area where his grip had been. "Why do you have be so hard on me?" Persy asked, watching her friend closely.

"_Stop letting out your anger on Persy! It isn't her fault dad's drunk ass is passed out in the livin room at home. Again."_

"I'm sorry, Tye," Persy said, her eyes downcast, "had I known, I would have asked Janie to call uncle Charlie."

Tye stopped and turned to look at Persy, his eyes narrowed angrily as he folded his arms over his chest. "What the hell, Persy?!" he yelled, "I thought I told you not to fucking read my mind! That shit is private!"

"I didn't mean to!" Persy exclaimed defensively, throwing her hands in the air, "I can't block them out tonight! Believe me, I've been trying since I came into work."

She watched as Tye gave her a wary glance before he seemed to relax and nodded; he motioned silently for Persy to get in his car and the brunette did so quickly, not wanting to anger her friend again. All she wanted to do was go home and take something to help with the pain in her head before she went to sleep for the night.

The drive to her house was quick and quiet and Persy had taken to humming the most annoying songs she could think of in her head so she wouldn't accidently hear Tye's thoughts. She didn't like prying into the thoughts of her friends and family so she had always made sure to have her shields up around them but that just wasn't possible tonight. She was half-way through mentally humming Cotton-Eye Joe when they pulled up to her house and Persy got out of the car.

"Perse," came Tye's voice when Persy was half-way up the path leading towards the door. She turned around and saw her friend leaning against the window of his car as he looked the brunette over before he smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier," he continued uncomfortably, "it isn't like you were doing it on purpose and I shoulda known better."

Persy smiled brightly at Tye. "It's okay, sweetie," she replied happily, "I forgave you the moment it happened. Can't stay mad at you, now can I?" she laughed.

"Damn right, you can't," Tye replied before he sighed heavily, "look, you already know dad's drunk and I was wondering..."

Persy smiled softly, "you don't even have to ask, Tye. You're always welcome here."

She watched Tye smile and lock his car before she turned around and continued her trek up the worn path to her home. The house was away from the rest of the houses in Forks and Persy had always preferred it that way. She liked the privacy her isolation provided her and being surrounded by the woods meant Persy was far enough away from others that she didn't have to have her shields up all the time and could just relax. It was something she had always valued growing up when she didn't have to go to school and couldn't focus properly because of all the voices in her head. It had gotten so bad that her mum had eventually decided to homeschool Persy and she had been relieved for the reprieve it offered her even if it did make her a social pariah.

Persy made quick work of unlocking the door and stepping inside the house, locking the door once Tye ducked inside before she sluggishly made her way up the stairs, down the hall, and into her room. She was too exhausted to get changed but knew her mum would have pitched a fit if she slept in her 'daytime' clothes. With a groan, Persy made her way passed her bed and towards her closet; she quickly pulled out one of her nightgowns and made quick work of changing. Releasing her hair from its usual ponytail, she used her fingers to brush the hair out before she threw her clothes in her hamper so she could wash them in the morning and belly flopped onto her bed.

The pounding in her head reminded Persy that she hadn't taken anything for the pain and she whined as she sluggishly lifted herself from her bed and stumbled out of her room and down to the bathroom. She opened the medicine cabinet and quickly reached for the Tylenol. Persy swallowed two, drinking from the bathroom tap before she turned the light off and made her way back to her room.

She rolled her eyes affectionately when she saw Tye spread out on her bed in his boxer shorts before she climbed in beside the lightly snoring man. Resting her head on his arm, Persy took in his scent as she began to relax.

The Tylenol didn't take too long to kick in and Persy would have cried out her relief if she didn't want to risk waking Tye and wasn't already drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Alex had been wandering around town when he caught the delectable scent. He'd never smelt anything like it and his mouth quickly filled with venom as he looked around for the source of the scent. His eyes landed on two figures walking out of the town diner. The first figure was a tall man with dark skin who was striding around angrily, tightly gripping his friend by the arm as he dragged her over to a car.

The second figure was a woman with sunkissed skin and brown hair so dark it almost looked black. She also happened to be the source of the delectable scent Alex could almost taste in the air. He was too focused on the smell of her blood and the sound of it pumping through her body to hear the conversation the man and the woman were having before they both hopped into the car and began driving off.

Alex knew he shouldn't have followed them; Carlisle would be furious when he found out. He knew all about Alex's addiction to human blood and had tried to teach his 'son' a 'better way'. Alex could care less that he had managed to stick to his family's 'diet', because now that he had smelt her blood, he was determined to sample it.

He followed them out of town and hid in the shadows as the woman welcomed the man into her home. Alex watched the brunette, whom he had heard being called Persy, smile softly at the man before she shut the door to her home. He swollowed back more venom: having been tempted to grab her while her back was turned and sink his teeth into her jugular just to see if her blood tasted as good as it smelled.

He didn't, however, do that. Not because he couldn't but because he had promised Carlisle that he would not draw any unnecessary attention towards them. Draining the perky brunette would surely draw the wrong kind of attention to them. Perhaps he could find a much more subtle way to feed off her. She worked at that diner and he could simply go there during her shift and 'compel' her to offer herself to him whenever and however he wanted. Alex couldn't deny that he was physically attracted to her and fucking her while he fed from her would certainly be pleasurable.

Moving around the outside of her home, listening for her heartbeat, Alex quickly scaled a tree by her bedroom window and crouched on the branch. His mouth quickly filled with venom again as he watched Persy change before she left the room only to come back a moment later and go to sleep.

He growled as he watched her cuddle up to the man she had called 'Tye'; snuggling up to him so comfortably. Alex wanted to jump through the window and tear the man apart for touching her when she was _his_. He shook his head, knowing the man wouldn't be a problem after he 'compelled' her; she'd invite him into her home, her life, her bed, and her body once he was through with her and she would never touch another man.

He watched her sleep until the sound of a car pulling up to the house reached his ears and he jumped from the tree and moved to the front of the house to see who could possibly be here at this hour. Alex watched as two men pulled up in a police cruiser and looked out the house. Both men seemed to be in thier mid to late forties; it was so hard to tell human ages now but Alex could care less how old they were, he just wanted to know how they knew his Persy.

"She's fine, Charlie," the man in the passenger side of the car said, "there's nothing to worry about."

"I always worry about her, Bill," the other man replied with a sheepish smile in return, "I can't say I like her being all the way out here on her own."

"She's not alone most of the time," she 'Bill' answered, "Tye spends more time here than he does at his place."

Charlie and Bill looked at the house and Alex could see Charlie frowning, "Janie called and told me she let Persy off early; told me she didn't feel too well.

"Everything okay?"

Charlie hummed at Bill's question but Alex could see the concern in his eyes. "I'm not sure," he sighed, "Persy had a cold last week and I think it's been messing with her mind a little. Poor thing hasn't had a moment of peace unless she's at home."

"Well, you can come and check on her tomorrow," Bill replied, "you know Persy adores you and she's always happy to see you. Perhaps you can drop her off at Carver's for her evening shift as well; she doesn't get to see you much."

Alex frowned, he'd have to be extra careful with Persy now that he was aware her uncle was Sheriff of this small town. At least now he knew when she would be back at Carver's and he would certainly be there before the end of her shift to 'compel' her.

He watched Charlie and Bill give the house one last look before the police cruiser drove away from the house.

Alex was tempted to return to his perch in the tree and watch Persy. From where he had been sitting, he could smell her delectable blood and he could easily get lost in the scent. However, he knew Carlisle was expecting him back shortly and it would not do for the older vampire to become suspicious of him; especially now that he had a very good reason to want to extend his stay in Forks.

With that thought in mind, Alex vamp sped away from the house; all the while, thinking about the gorgeous brunette he was determined to possess. Whether she was willing or not.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Two chapters in two days! I hope you guys are enjoying this story so far; I'm certainly enjoying righting it. Not a lot in this chapter to be honest but it gives a little more insight into Persy and Tye. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with Bella at this point but I do think her character is salvagable and I definitely want to help improve the character I couldn't stand in the books or the movies. I'm hoping by adding my OC it will be a way to develop Bella's character. Anyway, what do you all think so far? I promise the chapters will start picking up soon so please bare with me. Anyway, please enjoy!**

**Much Love,**

**Persephone.**

**Chapter Two**

Persy didn't wake up until well into the afternoon and the only reason she even woke up then was because Tye was determined not to let her miss all of her meals. So, she was required to get up and have dinner and that would give her an hour and a half before her shift to get ready anyway. Much to Persy's relief, her headache was gone and her shields were finally working properly again. She knew they wouldn't completely block everyone out but at least it wouldn't feel like she was drowning in everyone's thoughts so she'd take what she could get.

She was more than thrilled when she came down the stairs and saw her uncle Charlie sitting at the kitchen table. Persy squealed happily and Charlie barely had a moment to stand up before she almost tackled him to the ground in a hug. "I haven't seen you in forever!" Persy exclaimed as she tightened her arms around him.

"You saw me two weeks ago, Kiddo," Charlie replied as he returned the hug much more softly than Persy as Tye watched with a fond smile on his face.

"Well, two weeks feels like forever," Persy huffed as she bounced back and skipped to her own chair before she sat down. Persy loved spending time with her uncle Charlie and not just because she couldn't hear his thoughts either; though, that was a huge bonus. Charlie had helped Persy's mother raise her after her father had died when she was seven. At the time, Charlie was still married to Renee and they were expecting their first, and only, child, Bella.

Persy never liked Renee; she had tried to like her uncle's wife but being able to hear how much she hated living in Forks and how much she wished she had never married Charlie so young and had instead lived a little more had made Persy wary of the older woman. Of course, then Bella was born and Renee seemed to think more and more about leaving Forks. It was only when Persy had begun screaming at her about wanting to hurt her uncle Charlie that her mother had been forced to share with them about Persy's ability. Renee had recoiled from the child upon hearing that she could hear her every thought but Charlie had embraced Persy's quirk and had even helped her over the years to accept that which she couldn't change.

Renee did end up leaving and had even taken baby Bella with her. Charlie had thrown himself into work and helping her mum with Persy to deal with his heartbreak and during that time, Persy had never hated it more that she couldn't hear what her uncle was feeling just so she could have known how to help him.

Bella would visit every summer for two weeks until a few years ago when she had decided she no longer wished to visit Forks and instead had made Charlie travel to Phoenix, Arizona to visit her instead. Persy had tried everything over the years to bond with her cousin but Bella was a reserved child and it didn't seem to change when she grew into a teenager; if anything, it only seemed to get worse. Still, Bella was family and Persy knew just how important family was; even if she hadn't seen Bella in two years.

"Persy?"

She jumped at the sound of her uncle's voice and shook her head before she turned to look at him. Persy flushed when she realized she had zoned out and hadn't heard a word Charlie had spoken to her. "Sorry," she muttered, smiling at Tye as he placed a plate of steak, mash potato, and vegetables down in front of her, "what were you saying?" she asked as she began to cut up her steak.

"I asked if you were feeling okay," Charlie repeated with a gentle smile, "Janie called and told me you left work early; everything okay?"

Persy wiped the question away with a flourish of her hand, "I'm fine," she replied, "I just had a headache and it made it hard to block everyone out."

"Do you still have a headache?" Tye asked as he sat down at the table.

Shaking her head, Persy began eating her food, talking in between mouthfuls once she had swallowed her food. "I took some Tylenol last night and I woke up feeling fine today but I'm gonna take the Tylenol to work with me just in case," she told Tye before she dug into her food. Persy hadn't realized just how hungry she was until the plate had been placed before her and she could see the amusement on Tye and Charlie's faces as they watched her dig into the food.

"I still don't know where you put it all," Charlie chuckled once they had finished their meals. He and Persy had insisted on doing the dishes and Tye had made his way into the living room to read one of Persy's many books.

"I've got a bottomless pit for a stomach according to Tye," Persy replied with a laugh as she dried the dishes and put them away whilst Charlie washed, "I can eat and eat and my metabolism just burns through it all."

"Hmm," Charlie hummed thoughtfully before he changed the topic slightly, "you still go running?"

Persy nodded, "once a day for an hour," she told him, "it helps me clear my head."

"The woods can be dangerous, Persy," Charlie scolded lightly, "anything could be lurking in them."

She smiled up at him. "The same can be said about anywhere in the world, Uncle Charlie," she laughed, "but I'm not gonna live my life thinking everything in the world is out to get me. I don't wanna be like that."

"Doesn't mean you can't be cautious, Perse," Charlie replied as he finished the last of the dishes and leaned against the bench as he watched Persy dry the remainder of the dishes and put them away, "I just don't want you to get hurt, Kiddo."

Persy placed the last of the dishes away and dried her hands before she put down the tea towel and hugged her uncle. "Nothing's gonna happen to me," she told him softly, "this is Forks, after all, nothing interesting ever happens here."

Charlie wanted to protest her statement, she could see it in his eyes, but after a moment he deflated and nodded his head, "I guess you have a point," he conceded.

"Don't I always?" Persy teased before she looked at the clock on the wall, "oh, shit, I'm gonna be late!" Persy flew out of the room and up the stairs, running into her room and over to the neatly folded pile on her bed. She mentally thanked Tye for washing her clothes and quickly ran to the bathroom where she had a two-minute shower before she got dressed into her work uniform. Persy quickly pulled her hair into its signature ponytail and ran back to her room where she shoved her sock covered feet into her worn sneakers.

Persy was about to run down the stairs when she skidded to a stop and ran back to the bathroom. She put on some mascara and lip gloss, knowing she got better tips when she wore make-up, before she rushed from the bathroom and took the stairs two at a time. She missed the bottom stair and felt herself begin to fall only for Charlie to catch and steady her before she could embarrass herself.

"Thank you," she breathed as she got her heart to stop trying to jump out of her chest and managed to look up and smile at her uncle, "I'm gonna be so late," she said, her smile dropping.

"I forgot to tell you that I'm gonna drive you to work," Charlie told her sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand after he let her go, "thought I might grab a coffee before I head back to work. What do you think, Kiddo?"

"I think you're an angel," Persy grinned, "and your coffee will definitely be on me."

"Sounds good," Charlie smiled before they both said goodbye to Tye and made their way out to the police cruiser.

Persy was just about to open the door when she had the strangest feeling she was being watched. Her hand hovered over the handle of the door as she looked over her shoulder at the trees surrounding their home. She looked for anything out of the ordinary before dropping her shields and listening out for anyone's thoughts. The only thoughts she could hear were Tye's.

_No, that's not it, _she thought as she narrowed her eyes and extended the range of telepathy. It was right at the edge of her limits but she could just make out the rushed thoughts of another person. However, she couldn't tell what the thoughts were because the person seemed to have their own kind of shield up. Persy took a step forward, determined to learn who was sneaking around her house.

"You okay, Kiddo?"

Charlie's voice made her jump and Persy's head snapped back to look at him before she flushed and gave him a small smile, "I'm okay," she told him, "just thought I heard something."

Before he could question her further, Persy opened the door and got into the car. She waited patiently for him to do the same and was relieved when he didn't bring up her strange behaviour. If there was anything she could count on, it was that her uncle knew when not to push and she was thankful for it.

However, she couldn't shake off the feeling that everything was about to change, and it made Persy both nervous and excited.

* * *

Okay, so maybe blocking the thoughts out wasn't going to be easy tonight either. Persy had been here a couple hours when her shields faltered and thoughts began to stream in again.

"_Thank you, baby. You know daddy loves you."_

"_I'm sittin' down here, okay? I'm by myself."_

She set down a beer at a table where a middle-aged and balding man was sitting alone; he was sweating slightly and eying the beer like it was the cure for cancer or something.

"_I can't believe she wants me to quit drinking. Why would I ever..."_

She shook her head, trying to dislodge the thoughts as she moved over to a table where a man and woman were eating, setting down a bottle of ketchup before she began to walk off.

_"Hot damn, little Persy sure has grown up. I bet I could get her to meet me in the restroom and..."_

Persy wrinkled her nose but shook it off as she moved towards another table housing two teenage girls that couldn't be older than Bella.

"_She's so pretty. I love her hair. I wish I was that pretty."_

She smiled at the shy Asian girl's words as she set down the ketchup. The girl smiled back at her shyly, her cheeks tinging red as her large brown eyes looked at Persy through her glasses. "I love your glasses," Persy commented, smiling softly when she whispered a shy 'thank you'.

"_I can't believe I let Angela talk me into coming here tonight. But that waiter though. Damn, I'd go down on that."_

Persy's smile become more forced as she looked to the teenager sitting opposite 'Angela' as she began thinking about all the things she'd do to Jackson. Her nose wrinkled again as the teenager began imagining herself and Jackson in some very compromising positions in the back room before Persy made a show of looking in the same direction the girl was before she laughed.

"I wouldn't even bother, honey," she said as she turned back to the two girls.

"And why the hell not?" the second girl replied, ignoring her friend when she told her to be nice.

"Jackson's about as straight as circle if you know what I mean," Persy explained with a grin as she turned to see Jackson blushing at something his boyfriend had just said as her took his order. "Not to mention, he's taken," she continued, returning her gaze to the two girls.

The girl's face soured and Persy could see her friend trying to hide her smile behind her hand. Persy winked at her when she looked in her direction before she turned and made her way over to the empty booth in the corner after telling Janie she was going on her break.

Persy waved Jackson down after he was finished speaking with his boyfriend and ordered a burger and fries before she pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at the messages Tye had sent her.

**Tye: Thanks for letting me stay last night. **

**Tye: You really need to stock up on your groceries. I'll take you shopping tomorrow. **

**Tye: Holy hell, you will not believe the hunk that just came into the store!**

**Tye: He's straight :(**

**Tye: And he has a girlfriend :(**

Persy chuckled at her friend's antic and quickly typed back a reply to the last message.

_**Persy: I'm sure you'll find a very handsome, very single, and very gay man soon, Tye.**_

**Tye: Not anytime soon according to the cards.**

**Tye: But they do tell me you're going to meet someone soon.**

_**Persy: Please tell me you're not trying to play matchmaker again? What would your aunt think if she knew you were using your cards like this?**_

**Tye: Even she thinks you desperately need to meet someone, Perse.**

She didn't reply and Tye didn't send her anymore messages after that. Persy knew that her friends and family wanted her to find love and be happy but the truth of the matter was that it was hard to find love in a town where you grew up knowing everyone. It was even harder to find love when you could read the mind of your partner if your shields dropped.

Persy wasn't a stranger to the opposite sex; she had had sex plenty of times before but it was during sex that her shields were at their weakest and she could hear exactly what her partner wanted from her. She had developed a thick skin and an even thicker wall around her heart to protect her from being hurt and Tye hated it more than she did.

Her phone suddenly began buzzing and Persy looked down to see Tye was ringing her. She frowned, knowing that Tye preferred to text everyone so getting a phone call was unusual.

"Hey, what's up?"

"_I'm picking you up tonight. Don't leave the diner unless I'm with you," _Tye said instantly and the seriousness in her friend's tone had her instantly worried.

"Tye, what is it? What's wrong?"

"_Something bad is going to happen, Persy; and it has something to do with whoever you're going to meet soon."_

"I'm not following you," Persy frowned, glancing around the diner to see the usual customers laughing and talking. "Tye, you told me the cards aren't always right; maybe this is one of those times?"

"_I repeated the process four times and it was the same thing every time!"_

"Okay, calm down and tell me what they mean," she replied calmly, trying to soothe her distressed friend.

She heard Tye inhale and exhale deeply before he began talking again, _"they said you're going to meet someone new soon; a stranger from out of town."_

"Forks doesn't get many people from out of town," Persy said, more to herself than anything else, "but, meeting a new person can't be that bad, right?"

"_It was the same card," _Tye began to ramble, _"every damn time I did it, it was the same fucking card!"_

"What card, Tye?" Persy asked, her heart racing in her chest at the sheer distress she could hear in her friend's voice.

"_Death. The card keeps showing me death, Persy."_

Just as the words left his mouth, the door to the diner opened and in walked a man she had never seen before but had a hard time looking away from. His hair was dark and his eyes were almost golden. He was handsome, there was no denying that; but when his eyes connected with hers, Persy drew in a sharp breath.

"_Persy? Persy, what's wrong?!"_

Her eyes never left his as she dropped her shield and realised his mental signature was the same one that had been near her house. Persy's hold on her phone tightened as she continued to stare at the beautiful stranger, dread pooling in her stomach before her voice finally returned to her and she whispered one thing.

"Vampire."


	3. Chapter 3

Persy could vaguely hear Tye cursing in both English and French but she was too focused on the vampire that had turned to her the moment she had foolishly revealed that she knew exactly what he was. Personally, Persy had never actually met a vampire; not in the sense of stopping to have an actual conversation with one anyway but she had known for years that they existed. She also knew that the entire Cullen family were vampires thanks to overhearing their thoughts when she had run into a few of them in the hospital.

She hadn't wanted to believe it at first; all she wanted to do was live in her little oblivious bubble where the weirdest things were her abilities and Tye's magic. She didn't want to know there were creatures out there far more dangerous than the most dangerous men and women she had read about. However, she had also overheard the Cullen's thinking about their diet on multiple occasions and had felt comfortable knowing they were '_vegetarians'_ even if the very idea was laughable.

Persy had made sure not to act any differently; afraid she would somehow let it slip that she knew what they were. She was sure that if the world wasn't aware that vampires existed it was for a very good reason. Hell, she wouldn't be surprised if there was some secret vampire hierarchy that had laws in place for that kind of thing.

Mentally, she snorted. _You've been reading too many fantasy novels,_ the little voice in her head chuckled.

Any other time she would have smiled at the little voice in her head but at that moment, the vampire was moving over to her booth and the closer he got, the more dread she felt. She didn't know why; she had already heard him thinking about Carlisle and Esme so she knew he was a Cullen and his eyes told her that he followed their diet. However, she had also caught small snippets of thoughts that had her blood running cold before he had suddenly slammed up his mental shields.

_He must know another mind reader,_ she thought; knowing that people didn't use mental shields unless they had to. Tye had been more than excited when he had successfully blocked her out after two weeks of unsuccessfully trying to form his own mental shields to block out her telepathy.

"Hello."

His voice sounded like honey but she knew even poison could be sweetened to hide the danger. His gold eyes traced her face as he sat down opposite her and grabbed her phone, hanging up on Tye who had still been cursing up a storm. Her eyes narrowed at his audacity but her glare only seemed to amuse him.

"Good evening," she replied with faux sweetness, "I'd be happy to take your order but I'm afraid I'm on my break right now."

He smiled, showing all teeth and making her think of a wolf snarling at its prey. She forced her body to relax; unwilling to show her fear to the creature in front of her.

"There's nothing I want on the menu," he retorted and Persy had to focus hard on not flinching when he suddenly thrusted a mental image at her of him pushing her against a wall behind the diner as he sunk his teeth into the juncture where her shoulder met her neck.

"If you're not going to order anything I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Persy snapped, grabbing her plate and plucking her phone from his hand before she turned to make her way to the kitchen.

"You don't want me to," he said and Persy turned around only to take a cautious step back when he was standing right behind her. He was looking into her eyes, his own seeming to be endless as his pupils dilated. "In fact," he continued with a sly smile, "you find yourself rather enamoured with me; so much so, that you want to invite me back to your place and let me do _whatever_ I want to you."

Persy looked into his eyes and found her head tilting slightly before she frowned. "You're kidding me, right?" she snapped, "one; I just met you. Two; you are by far the creepiest person I've met. Three; I'm not interested. And four; I'm. Not. Interested!"

He looked genuinely surprised and Persy took that time to hurry back into the kitchen and dump her plate into the sink. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest and she found herself unable to calm her breathing. Had he been trying to control her? She had felt a weird tugging sensation in her head as he was speaking but she had no idea that vampires had abilities. Could they all control people? Or, was that specific to the creep who had just tried it on her? If so, did that mean vampires had other abilities and if so, what?

"Persy?"

She jumped, barely managing to bite back a frightened squeal as she turned to see Janie staring at her.

"Janie," she laughed nervously, "you frightened me."

"You think you can run from him, Persy?"

Persy stiffened; Janie sounded strange, like she wasn't really aware of what she was saying and it sent unease shooting through her. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, slowing backing away from her boss and friend only to back into a cold wall.

She went to scream only to have a hand clamped over her mouth and a cold breath fan over her ear. Persy looked at Janie, silently pleading for the older woman to help her and feeling her unease grow as Janie continued to look at her blankly. "I'm going to remove my hand, Persy," he whispered into her ear; making her shiver, repulsed, "and if you scream, I'm going to kill everyone in this diner before I take what I want from you."

She nodded, her eyes stinging from the newly forming tears. How could this be happening? Who the hell did this guy think he was! Persy thought the Cullen's didn't hurt people but this vampire's thoughts said otherwise.

He removed his hand from her mouth and Persy flinched as it moved down to her throat where he gripped her gently enough not to leave marks but firm enough that she knew it was a warning. "What do you want?" she whispered, scared for her life and the lives of everyone in the diner.

"For now? I want you to tell me why my compulsion didn't work on you. What are you?"

Persy swallowed heavily, knowing he could hear and feel her pulse beating erratically. "I'm human," she answered, "which is more than I can say for you."

He chuckled, "not a fan of vampires?"

"Not a fan of jerks who think they can get whatever the hell they want simply because they want it," she retorted shortly, her temper rising as her fear did. "What did you do to Janie?" she continued, not taking her eyes off her boss.

"I just made a few suggestions and she was all too happy to comply."

"You control minds."

"And you can apparently read them," he replied, "my brother has a similar gift."

"I thought the Cullen's didn't hurt people."

"I haven't hurt you," he answered, brushing her hair away from her shoulder with his free hand. Persy heard him sniffing her neck and caught a flash of what he wanted to do to her as his bloodlust rose.

"Yet," she whispered, repulsed by the man behind her.

His thoughts suddenly change and Persy's anger rose. Neither of them were prepared for what happened next. He had slackened his hold on her and Persy suddenly found herself turning in his grasp.

**Crack!**

The sound of her palm meeting the side of his face was startlingly loud. His head snapped to the side but he seemed to recover quickly and she suddenly found herself slammed against the fridge; her head hitting the surface hard enough to make her dizzy. He was glaring at her though she didn't miss the look of surprise in his eyes either; it was like he was surprised she had hit him.

"What the hell are you?" he snarled and Persy's earlier bravado vanished as suddenly as it appeared as his golden eyes turned black. His hand was at her throat and Persy was very aware that he could snap her neck easily.

"Alex!"

Both of them started at the new voice before 'Alex' was being tugged away from her by powerful arms. Persy fought the little black spots that were dancing around her vision as she focused on the new additions to this unwanted meeting.

The woman who had spoken was a tiny thing with pixie like features and short hair. Her brilliant gold eyes looked Persy over for injuries but when she made to step closer, Persy flinched back. She had had more than enough of vampires tonight and just wanted to go home and curl under her blankets. Then she realised this Alex guy knew where she lived and would probably have no problem getting into her house. Persy felt her eyes tear up at the thought that her sanctuary was no longer safe.

Her eyes darted to the man who had pulled Alex away from her and she froze. He was huge and quite intimidating. Except his eyes; his eyes, even narrowed as they were, showed nothing but concern and kindness. He reminded her of her mother and she felt her heart tug painfully at the reminder before pain exploded in the back of her head and everything went black.

* * *

Alice had felt off all night and she was sure it had everything to do with Alex being back in town. She hadn't seen her 'brother' in almost ten years and she'd be lying if she said she had missed him. Alice still thought Carlisle had made the wrong choice in allowing the nomad to join the coven but Edward had been quick to vouch for an 'old friend' and Carlisle had seen no reason to turn him away if he was willing to change his ways.

But Alice knew better; she had watched Alex closely since he had joined the coven almost three decades ago and knew that Alex never 'slipped up', he purposely broke Carlisle's rules whenever he felt the urge arise. Of course, Edward had told Carlisle that Alex was merely struggling to control his thirst; he had even gone so far as to use her mate to further push his point. Alice knew Jasper had had a few slips in his control, but Alex stalked his prey long before he killed them. She had watched all of his kills and couldn't fathom why Edward would defend someone with such little respect for human life.

She had been reading with Jasper in their room when the vision hit and Alice hadn't been ready for the sheer intensity of it. She could see Alex talking to a pretty girl in the kitchen of what looked to be a diner. There was another woman present but Alice immediately recognised the signs that she was under Alex's compulsion. She shivered, knowing just what that felt like. Alex was standing behind the girl, his hand at her throat as he spoke to her; the words blurred by and Alice felt her body jolt as the girl suddenly turned and slapped Alex across the face. Her glazed eyes widened as she saw the small cracks forming on his cheek. It shouldn't have been possible for a human girl to do that to a vampire.

In the next second, Alex had her pinned to the fridge as he snarled at her. They seemed to argue back and forth before Alex's face shifted to one of intense anger and he suddenly ripped into the girl's neck.

"Oh god," Alice gasped as she came out of the vision, her mate crouched before her as his concerned eyes studied her face. "We need to get to Carver's," she said before she was speeding out of the room.

Alice only stopped long enough to get Emmett to accompany her; knowing his strength would do them good in controlling Alex long enough to get him away from the woman from her vision.

When they got to Carver's, Jasper stayed behind the building and Emmett and Alice hurried inside. Alex already had the poor woman pinned to the fridge and Alice stared horrified as he snarled at her. She could see the healing cracks on his face and for the second time wondered how a human could possibly do that before she realised there was a more pressing matter to focus on right now.

"Alex!" she yelled just as Emmett rushed forward and forcefully removed Alex from the woman who was looking at them with wide eyes. Alice could already smell her blood from where her head had apparently hit the fridge and felt her bloodlust rise at the heavenly scent. However, she managed to control it and stepped forward to offer the woman comfort only to stop when she flinched away from her.

"Please stop."

Alice was sure the woman didn't even know she had spoken the words as her eyes darted to Emmett before they were suddenly rolling back. She rushed forward and caught the woman before she could hit her head on the ground and looked to Emmett with anger darkening her gold eyes. "Get him out of here," she growled, furious with Alex for what he had done. Not only had he exposed them to the woman she currently held but he was willing to expose them to all of Forks just to get a taste of her blood.

Her blood. Alice could smell it so much more now that she was holding her and the scent was the most tantalising thing she had ever come across. Her bloodlust was rising again but Alice felt no desire to hurt the woman in her arms.

She gasped as her eyes glazed over and she saw the woman she now held standing before the Volturi Kings. She was standing in front of a smaller woman, a girl who couldn't be older than seventeen or eighteen. Alice saw the defiant look in her eyes as she glared at the three kings who seemed to only have eyes for the fiery brunette.

"_Brother?_" Aro asked, looking towards Marcus.

"_It's her, brothers,_" he replied as he stood from his throne and began to ascend the stairs, "_she is the one. Our __**mate**_."

Alice was thrown from the vision as quickly as it had begun and felt her eyes widen and her fear grow as she looked down at the woman in her arms. Alex could have doomed their entire family by killing this woman. She didn't know if they would have known of her demise but she could only imagine what the Volturi Kings would have done to her family if they had come to learn that Alex had killed their mate. She was a destined Queen; the future Queen of Voltura.

Their lives just got a whole lot more complicated.

* * *

**I just want to clarify that no, Persy does not have super strength. The events of this story have something to do with her powers and will be explained in a later chapter. I hope you guys are enjoying this and let me know what you think below.**

**Much love,**

**Persephone.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Another chapter! Okay guys, this chapter is going to be the final one before we begin the chapters that centre around the events of twilight so the next chapter will have a time skip. In this chapter, I wanted to give you guys more of an idea of how close Persy and Tye are because their bond is very important throughout my story. Anyway, I won't say too much more except that I hope you enjoy and maybe leave me a review if you're not too busy.**

**P.s. We also get to see the Volturi in this chapter!**

**Much love,**

**Persephone.**

* * *

Persy gasped awake; her hands immediately flying to her neck and the back of her head. She winced as her fingers came into contact with the dried blood on the back of her head and the tender flesh of her neck where Alex's grip on her had momentarily tightened in his rage. Frantically, her eyes looked around only to relax at the sight of her bedroom. Her relief was only short lived when she realized one of the vampires had to have carried her back here which meant they could indeed get into her house.

Her heart rate increased at the thought, her pulse skyrocketing as she moved her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself. She didn't hear the front door opening but when her bedroom door flew open, Persy fell off the bed with a frightened scream. Hurried footsteps made their way around her room but all Persy could see was black eyes; _dangerous _eyes.

She scurried away from the newest occupant, tears streaming down her face and her breathing quick and uneven. Hands reached out to grab her shoulders and Persy screamed again; her mind unable to commute that these hands were soft and warm not hard and cold. She struggled against the grip on her, her small fists useless flinging out at her perceived attacker before his voice broke through the terrified haze of her mind.

"Persy! Baby, come on; you're okay. It's just me. You're okay."

Persy blinked owlishly, her gaze moving to her shoulders where dark hands gripped her firmly but gently. Her eyes trailed up to the owner of said hands and Persy fell into Tye's chest with a strangled cry. It had all been too much, she couldn't control the sense of utter panic she was experiencing at the thought of Alex or any of the Cullen's being able to get into her home. Her sanctuary had been compromised and Persy no longer felt safe. Would she ever feel safe?

"It's okay, baby," Tye murmured into her ear as he snaked one arm around her back and the other under her legs before he effortlessly lifted her. He moved them over to the bed, sitting down with her still cradled closely to him as she rested her head on his chest and listened to the frantic beat of his own heart. "I'm here," he kept whispering to her softly, carding his fingers through her hair before pausing as he came across the dried blood that had crusted parts of her hair.

He placed her on the bed before he stood. Persy reached out and clung to his hand, her eyes wide with terror as she looked at him, silently pleading for him not to leave her. Tye cupped her cheeks, the pad of his thumb gently rubbing the tears that still fell from her eyes. "I'll be right back, love," he told her softly, "I'm just going to run a bath so we can get you cleaned up."

Reluctantly, she nodded, not really wanting him to leave but knowing that he would only be down the hall. He wouldn't leave her; Tye had been a constant in her life since he had moved to Forks from New Orleans when he was ten. She held her knees to her chest as he left the room, her mind going over the events at the dinner as if it were an old film stuck on repeat. Never had she felt such fear as she had when she had stood before the angry vampire knowing full well what he had planned for her in that moment.

She was drawn from her thoughts when Tye lifted her into his arms again and carried her from her room. Persy wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her cheek against his shoulder as she breathed in his scent. She had always found comfort in the strong scent of mixed herbs and the spicy musk of his cologne. Persy was familiar with Tye's scent from all the times they had shared a bed; no matter how many times she washed the sheets, his scent always lingered and it had always helped to make her feel relaxed and comfortable.

When they got to the bathroom, Tye gently put her down; holding on to her when her own legs seemed to be working against her. Their eyes met and Persy focused on him as he began to help her remove her clothes. He stopped when she reached her underwear before he sat her down at the edge of the bath and stepped back to remove his own. When he was just in his boxer-briefs, Tye got into the bath before helping Persy in as well.

The smell of lavender reached her nose as she sunk into the warm water and her body further relaxed. Persy leaned her back against Tye's chest, her head resting upon his shoulder as his legs moved to either side of her body. They had done this plenty of times growing up; never seeing a reason to break the habit as they aged. Everyone believed it was because Tye was openly gay and neither of them saw fit to remedy that rumour with the truth. In fact, they would have still bathed with one another even if Tye had not been gay; neither of them had ever seen each other as anything but friends and had agreed that that wouldn't have changed if Tye had been straight.

"They can get into my home."

Her whispered words would have gone unheard if they hadn't been as close as they were and Persy could feel Tye take in a deep inhalation.

"They won't," he said, "I promise they won't. Not again."

"How?" she asked, turning her head slightly to look at him.

"Because I'm going to ward the house," he replied seriously, "I'll need your help because you're the owner of the property but if you're not up…"

"I'll do it," she interrupted softly, "I'll do anything just so I can feel safe in my own home again."

"What happened in the diner, Perse?" he questioned as he reached over towards where he had placed her bar of vanilla soap, "when I got there, no one had even remembered you coming into work let alone leaving."

"Alex, the vampire who came in whilst we were talking, he can control minds," she explained, feeling Tye stiffen behind her at the new information. "It didn't work on me; I don't know why but I think it has something to do with my telepathy. But he controlled Janie and threatened to kill her and everyone else in the diner if I screamed so I stayed quiet. His thoughts, Tye," she cried, "he wouldn't have hesitated to kill everyone in that diner. Gods, there were kids there."

Tye began to gently wash her arms and shoulders as he shushed her. Her cries broke his heart but he knew that letting her bottle it up would have been far worse.

"Why you?" he asked, trying to coax her back onto the subject at hand.

"My blood," she answered, "before he shut his thoughts off, I heard him thinking about the smell of my blood and how he had never smelt anything like it. He wanted to drink from me and…" Her face bloomed red even as it paled dramatically. Tye took one look at her eyes and knew exactly what the vampire had been thinking. The thought alone had his hands tightening into fists before he forced himself to relax; his anger wouldn't help Persy.

"I slapped him."

His eyes widened at those three little words before he looked down at his best friend and saw a ghost of a smile on her lips. "You slapped a vampire?" he questioned dumbly, "and you didn't break your hand?"

"Why would I break my hand?"

"Honey, vampires are basically indestructible. Only other vampires and shape-shifters can even injure them. I mean, there are a few other magical creatures that could but none of those are human and all of those are basically extinct."

"That's why he looked so surprised," Persy mused.

"Surprised seems like a perfect way to react to a seemingly human girl being able to injure you," Tye snorted, "not that the bastard didn't deserve it. Now, scooch up; I need to wash your hair and look at the damage done to your head."

They spoke whilst Tye washed her hair, careful of the sensitive skin as he washed away the blood before they both got out. Persy could now stand on her own and wrapped a large fluffy towel around herself before she left the bathroom. Entering her own room, Persy made quick work of pulling out a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top. Shrugging out of her underwear, she didn't even blink when Tye walked into her room and over to the tallboy in the corner of the room where he kept his own clothes.

"Can we do the wards tonight?" she asked as she pulled up her sleep shorts and put on her tank top.

"Are you sure?" Tye asked, turning to face her after he had pulled on a pair of sweat pants, "it's going to be very taxing on you, Perse; aren't you going to see Billy with Charlie tomorrow?"

"I won't be able to sleep knowing they can get into my house," she told him softly, "and I'll need to find a way to ward Uncle Charlie and Billy's homes. What if Alex goes after them to get to me? I'll never forgive myself if they were hurt."

"Hey," he soothed, once more cupping her cheeks, "we won't let that happen."

"Maybe I should tell them that vampires exist," she insisted, "that way they can be a little more prepared."

Tye shook his head, "you'll put them in more danger then they are now if you do that."

"What are you talking about?"

Tye sighed. "Billy you might be able to get away with telling but if you tell Charlie, the Volturi will get involved. They're not big fans of humans knowing of the existence of vampires."

Persy blinked. "The Volturi?" she questioned.

"The rulers of the vampire world," Tye explained heavily, "three kings who govern the vampires and make sure they remain a secret. Humans who find out about them are either killed or turned."

"Oh my Gods, Tye, y-you know about them," Persy began, feeling her earlier panic returning at the thought of anything happening to her friend.

"Persy, I'm fine," he assured her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him to try and soothe her, "I'm a magical creature, remember? Wicches know about all forms of magical and non-magical creatures because we help to keep everything in balance. The Volturi knows that wicches are sacred and we're not allowed to be killed."

Persy breathed a sigh of relief before she straightened her shoulders, "I want to ward my home. I don't care what it takes as long as they can't get in."

"Okay, Perse," Tye nodded, "I've just got to get a few things from my place."

* * *

They sat in her living room, having pushed all the furniture towards the walls so they had enough space for whatever ritual Tye was going to be performing. Persy had significantly calmed down and now found herself more curious about the Volturi that Tye had mentioned earlier. She had always been fascinated by the more magical side of their world and learning that vampires were governed by kings was rather interesting.

Persy watched Tye set everything up for the ritual and found herself studying him closer. Her eyes squinted at the faint glow that had always surrounded people; she found that if she looked hard enough, she could make out different colours for different people. Tye's was a faint green and after meeting his aunt, Persy had come to realise that it symbolised their power. They drew magic from the earth which made the little bursts of browns and blues make sense.

Her Uncle Charlie had shades of white and gold with bits of yellows and greens thrown into the mix and she could remember that Bella had possessed similar colours when she was growing up. Persy thought this was just some weird telepathic side effect and never questioned it.

Shaking her head, Persy looked up when Tye sat before her. They had changed for the ritual, him wearing white cotton pants and a loose shirt and her in one of his loose white cotton shirts that was more of a dress on her. Persy had explained as much as he could about the ritual and Persy had agreed to offer whatever was necessary to protect her home and her family. It had taken a bit of tinkering, but Tye had managed to find a way to protect her Uncle Charlie and Billy's home.

"Ready?" he asked her again. She knew he was just checking to make sure she was absolutely certain about what she had chosen to do and Persy nodded. "This will take a lot of your energy, Perse. Blood won't be enough; you'll need to bless the objects with magic as well."

"But I haven't got any magic," Persy argued.

Tye shook his head. "You do," he countered, "I've never felt anything like it but I know that it's there and it's strong."

That was the first she had been learning of this and Persy felt her mouth go dry at yet another thing that would make her considered a freak.

Persy turned the lights off at Tye's insistence before Tye lit the candles surrounding them. Her breath caught as she watched them spring to life on their own. His magic had always mesmerised her and the beauty of it had her wishing he could show it off more often. However, she also knew why he kept his magic a secret; the world didn't like anything different and Tye's magic could also be perceived as a threat. She'd never tell a soul about his magic if it kept him safe.

Tye began the ritual, speaking in a language she knew to be Latin but couldn't understand for the life of her. She knew a very tiny bit of French, mainly curses, because Tye would always curse in French whenever he was particularly frustrated.

She watched his face closely as he performed the ritual, only looking away to place her hand in his and watched as he cut the tip of her finger slightly with his athame before coaxing the small droplet of blood into the ceremonial bowl.

The blood made a hissing sound as it hit the bowl before it moved to the centre and turned a deep shade of purple. Persy's eyes widened as the surrounding candles burned brighter before she suddenly felt really tired. She could feel Tye's magic surrounding her, coaxing her own into the spell and felt like she had been awake for a week and was in desperate need of sleep.

The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was a white blur standing behind her best friend before it too disappeared and her world went black.

* * *

When Persy came to, Tye informed her that she had only been out for five minutes and that the ritual had been a success. He handed her over the three objects he had blessed with her blood and gave her specific instructions on what to do when she got them into Charlie's and Billy's homes. Afterwards, he had watched her say the small activation spell as she placed the small figurine on her living room bookshelf.

"I say something before I blacked out," she explained as they sat down for a quickly thrown together meal, "something standing behind you."

Tye nodded, "I sensed something but I couldn't be distracted or the spell wouldn't have worked. Whatever it was, its magic felt like yours."

"What could that mean?"

"I have no idea," he answered honestly, "but I'll make a few calls and see if I can find out anything. You did good, Perse," he continued softly, "that ritual wasn't easy and you managed to keep the surge of magic going even after you passed out. It's… impressive."

She blushed and looked down at her plate before Tye thankful moved on to more normal topics. They spoke about work and dates, in Tye's case because Persy was having a long dry spell at the moment, and it was nice to feel normal for a small moment because Persy just knew it wouldn't last.

There was something at the back of her mind. Something whispering to her that everything was about to change. She just didn't know it would all start with a call from her Uncle.

* * *

Marcus had completely ignored what the vampire in front of him and his brothers was saying as he focused in on the lines that bonded everyone in the room in one way or another. Specifically, he focused on the smallest, weakest line that connected him and his brothers with some unknown person. Their mate; whomever he or she might be.

The string had come into existence over two decades ago and had been so faint he had almost missed it. It was gold and silver, a rare combination of colours that he couldn't recall coming upon before in his long life. When it had first flickered into existence it was so weak that he believed the owner of the bond would not live to see past their first few hours of life. That had caused him physical pain; thinking that their mate could very well die long before they even had a chance to meet them. It was a surprise, then, when the string flared suddenly before settling, far stronger than it had been only moments previous and he felt like he could relax knowing their mate would live. He just didn't know how long that would be for.

Even now, he watched the bond carefully; looking at it like it would give him a hint as to who and where their mate was, not that it ever did. No, of course it would not be that easy. Had it been, they would have sought him/her out to make sure he/she was protected at all costs. No one would dare harm their mate and if they did, the consequences would be far greater than one could imagine. The Volturi Kings could be forgiving, but they would not tolerate any harm coming to what was theirs.

Marcus straightened in his chair when their mates string suddenly flared violently and a wave of fear and anger washed over him. It surprised him; he had often felt small tinges of emotion but never anything this strong. His own anger rose at the idea that his mate was scared and there was nothing he could do about it. When power flared across the bond, his eyes widened minutely; the power faded as soon as it had appeared but he could still feel the aftershocks of it.

Than the bond dimmed and Marcus stood with a roar of rage that had the vampire in front of them cowering away. His mate was unconscious and vulnerable; he could feel that he/she was not asleep and the thought of someone hurting his mate enough for them to fall into unconsciousness had his bloodlust rising.

Vaguely, he heard his brothers ordering everyone to leave before Aro was standing before him and grabbing his hand. Marcus didn't hide anything from Aro, his anger still so prevalent even as his fear steadily grew. They could not protect their mate because they had no idea who their mate was. His only comfort was that he could still see the bond which meant their mate was no dead.

Aro's own eyes darkened before he explained what had happened to Caius. Without preamble, Caius picked up his thrown and threw it at the nearby wall where it splintered. Marcus watched his brother continue to destroy anything in the throne room before he was back at Aro and Marcus' side a moment later.

"I will kill them," he growled lowly, his eyes dark with his fury, "I will rip them to shreds one little piece at a time before I burn their pathetic corpse."

Marcus, usually the one to show little emotion, found himself agreeing with Caius. Anyone who dared to harm their mate would meet their fate at their hands and their death would be most painful indeed.

"Let us take comfort in the fact that our mate still lives," Aro assured his brothers, his own eyes darkened by anger as he let go of Marcus' hand. "Marcus will watch the bond closely and let us know when our mate awakens," he finished before he stepped away and looked to the mess Caius had made. He sighed heavily, "we really must find a better outlet for your anger, brother; some of these items cannot be so easily replaced."

Caius simply huffed before the three Kings left the room to retire to their office. The guard was ordered to make sure they were undisturbed for the rest of the day and that the vampire was jailed until they could reconvene their previous meeting.

They sat impatiently as Marcus zoned into the bond and waited. Aro rested a hand on Marcus' so that he could inform Caius of any changes to the bond.

"Our mate is awake," he said after what must have been two hours, "they're frightened but conscious."

Aro kept a running commentary of their mate's emotions before he suddenly fell quiet.

"What is it?" Caius demanded, speeding to stand before his brothers as Aro's eyes widened and a smile turned up his lips.

"_Stupefacente_," he whispered to himself though Caius heard it clearly.

"What?" he growled, frustrated that he, once again, had no idea what either man was seeing.

"I have never felt power like this," Aro continued lightly, "pure and untamed. Our mate is already a force to be reckoned with. _Bellissimo. _Such strength. But…"

Caius watched Aro's smile fall away and be replaced with a frown.

"What is it now?"

Aro dropped Marcus' hand as the man blinked to clear his mind. Marcus looked at both of his brother before he sighed. "I believe I may know what our mate is," Marcus said, "and it present an entire slew of problems."

"We can handle it," Caius commented.

"To our mate," Aro elaborated for Marcus, "their origins will present problems for them."

Caius did not like the sound of that at all.

* * *

**Stupefacente - Amazing**

**Bellissimo - Beautiful**


	5. Chapter 5

Persy had probably rearranged the small items in the room a dozen times in the last ten minutes alone. Now, she was nervously pacing around Bella's newly designed bedroom and preying her Uncle Charlie would hurry up before she went stir-crazy. She hadn't believed her Uncle at first when he had told her Bella would be coming to live in Forks whilst Renee and her new husband Phil travelled for his career or something like that. Persy might not like Renee a whole lot but Bella was her cousin and family meant everything to her.

Once again, Persy moved around the room, rearranging everything until she believed it better suited the feel of the room before she went back to pacing. Her pacing only stopped when she heard a car pulling up to the front yard and Persy practically flew down the stairs and out of the front door.

"Bella!" she exclaimed, running up to her cousin and embracing her in a bone-crushing hug, "oh, my Gods; I've missed you so much." She pulled away from Bella, still keeping her hands around the petite girls arms as her eyes took in the sight her young cousin made. "Look at you," she gushed, "you're so beautiful."

Bella blushed and with her pale skin tone it was the easiest thing to see. As it had always been, Persy could not read her cousin's mind but it didn't take a mind reader to know Bella was uncomfortable. Besides getting her hair and eyes from Charlie, Bella had also gotten his awkwardness and Persy found it downright adorable. She also knew when to step away so Bella didn't think she was being smothered.

"How was the drive?" she asked as she led Bella into the house, "awkward, I would imagine."

That got a small smile out of Bella. "You have no idea," she replied softly, her hands clinging at the little cacti she held.

"I think I do," Persy retorted with a soft smile. "But that's okay," she continued as they ascended the stairs, "you guys haven't seen each other in a while and it'll take some time before you are both comfortable around each other. However, if it ever gets too much and you just wanna get away, my place is always open to you."

"Thanks, Persy," Bella said, her tone genuine as Persy led her into her room.

"I went with Uncle Charlie to get everything," Persy explained as Bella looked around the room, "I remember you telling me how much you liked purple when you were little; and I got a few knick-knacks to fill the space so it's a little more like Phoenix."

And she had. Persy had looked everywhere for photo's of Phoenix and little bits and bobs that might remind Bella of home. She didn't want her cousin getting homesick but she also wanted the room to be a little bit of Forks as well so she had thrown in some pictures she had taken herself of the surrounding woods and La Push beach. It wasn't much and Persy knew there was a chance Bella would want to change things to better suit her style but she hoped her cousin at least felt comfortable with the setout the way it was.

"You're not obligated to keep it like this," she assured Bella when her silence had drawn on too long, "I understand that things would have changed since your last visit and your welcome to completely redesign…"

"I love it," Bella interjected when it became obvious that Persy was beginning to go on a tangent.

Persy smiled. "I'm glad," she replied, "I had Uncle Charlie install a lock on the bathroom door so you have more privacy but I couldn't convince him to put a lock on the bedroom door. The cop in him just wouldn't give in."

"It's fine," Bella answered quietly, placing the cacti on the desk in the corner of the room. She looked down at the desk and her eyes landed on a small framed picture housing two people. Picking it up, Bella looked at the two girls smiling and waving at the camera. It had been taken years ago, before she had stopped coming to visit Charlie.

Persy and Bella had been camping in the back yard. Even with Persy being sixteen, Charlie wouldn't allow them to go into the woods to camp. Bella had been put out by what she had perceived as a lack of trust but Persy had quickly elevated her mood by turning the back yard into a makeshift woods. The picture had been taken as they were roasting marshmallows to create smores. They had decided to stuff their cheeks with marshmallows whilst they waited before giving the camera a wide smile; cheeks puffed like chipmunks. Bella could remember chocking after the picture was taken when she had tried to eat the copious amounts of marshmallows in her mouth as Persy laughed and gave her a few hard pats on the back.

"I love that photo," Persy said from behind her, making Bella jump slightly. "Sorry," she continued, smiling sheepishly as she watched Bella put the photo down. "It was the last photo I had of us together before you decided to stay in Phoenix permanently." She saw Bella stiffen, a line of defense already on her lips and Persy hastily continued. "Hey, I'm not judging you, Bella," she assured her, "just stating a fact, that's all. I've got to go get ready for my shift at the diner. I, uh, I…" Persy sighed heavily, "bye, Bella."

And with that, she left; her cousin not even making a move to stop her or return her farewell. Persy felt herself deflate. She knew Bella was shy but she had hoped the younger woman would at least open up to her a little more. Moments like the one from the picture were rare between her and Bella but Persy made sure to savor them all the same. Memories were important. Her mother had taught her that.

"Hey, leaving already?"

Persy looked up at the sound of her Uncle's voice and her smile widened when she saw Billy and Jake. "Yeah, I've got a double shift tonight," she replied after giving the two newest editions a hug, "I showed Bella her room and she seems to be okay."

"Okay?" Uncle Charlie replied, looking worriedly at the house.

"Don't crowd her," Persy told him sternly but kindly, "I know you've missed her, Uncle Charlie but you need to remember that Bella is seventeen and needs her space as well. I'm only a phone call away if you ever need me, okay?"

Uncle Charlie wrapped her in a warm hug and Persy easily returned it. "Thanks, kiddo," he whispered into her hair before he kissed her forehead and let her go.

"I'll see everyone later," she told the trio before she began making her way down the street and towards her home.

* * *

"I forbid it, Tye."

Tye glared at the elderly woman standing across from him in the living room. His father wasn't home, probably getting drunk at the pub again and Tye had every intention of staying at Persy's house tonight. It wasn't so much to get away from his dad as it was to assure himself that she was safe. Lately, his night had been filled with vivid and terrifying dreams about Persy. He hadn't taken much stock into it at first because they had also contained her cousin, Bella, who lived in Phoenix. However, when Persy had informed him that Bella would be moving to Forks for an indefinite amount of time, Tye grew more worried.

"She needs to know so she can learn to defend herself," he argued, though he felt like he was just repeating the same thing in a different way.

"She will learn in time."

Tye slammed his palms down onto the coffee table, feeling it splinter beneath him as his anger spurned on his magic. "It'll be too late!" he yelled, tears of frustration springing to his eyes and her weathered figure becoming distorted, "if we wait for her to find out on her own, it'll be too late."

"There are rules that must be obeyed," she replied, her tone emotionless as it had been for the entirety of their conversation, "you are here to observe; not to act."

"You should have thought of that before you asked me to befriend her," he growled out, "surely you foresaw this happening. Surely, you saw how important she would become to me."

"I see everything."

"Than you've seen what'll happen to her if she remains in the dark about what she really is," he said through tightly gritted teeth, "her cousin arrived today which means events will begin unfurling. If she isn't warned, she'll be dead before Bella graduates."

The woman's lips twitched into a sardonic smirk, her wrinkles becoming more defined at the movement. "We observe; we never act," she repeated, her dark eyes holding a predatory gleam that set Tye on edge.

He felt his blood run cold at her words. "You want her to die," he whispered, coming to the horrifying conclusion. Her continued silence was the only answer he needed and Tye felt himself lose control of his magic for the first time in almost ten years. "What could you have possibly seen that would make you think it's okay to stand by and let her die? To make _me _stand by and let her die?" he demanded.

The woman stood, her own power superseding his as if it was nothing more than a small speck of dust she was wiping from her layered skirt. "You do not question me, boy," she boomed, her voice echoing as Tye cowered before the more powerful wicche. "Your mother may have been our coven leader once but that right was passed to me upon her death," she continued, "your magic is sworn to obey _me _and as such binds you to _me_. You will _observe_; you will not _act_. That is an order."

Tye felt his magic binding to the order and felt his heart seize at the knowledge that his magic would not allow him to disobey her. He would be a bystander in the events to come and there was no way to save his friend; no way to tell her that his magic wouldn't intercept. With four little words, she had rendered him powerless to stop what was to happen and Tye fought back the rapidly pooling tears as he watched her turn and leave; the door closing softly behind her.

With a shuddering breath, he fell to his knees; the bitter saltiness of his tears stinging his cheeks as they fell.

There was nothing he could do.

No way to save her.

In the end; it would all be inevitable.

Persy _would_ die.

* * *

Persy kept throwing glances at Tye as he drove them to her place. He hadn't spoken one word to her since picking her up from the diner and Persy could tell that whatever was on his mind was bothering him terribly. She was tempted to look inside his head but knew that he would be upset with her if she did so she simply continued to observe her friend silently.

When they did get to her home, Tye didn't even look at her as they entered the house and Persy tried to ignore the growing pit in her stomach that told her something was horribly wrong.

Quietly, she went about her nightly routine; brushing her teeth, wiping away her make-up, and changing into her pajamas before she moved into her room to find Tye absent from her bed. With a frown, she moved down the hall to the spare room that her mum had set up for him when they were younger and leaned against the doorframe to find her friend pressed against the wall on the little bed with his arms wrapped around a pillow. Even in sleep, a frown marred his face and Persy sighed heavily as she took another step into the room.

The bed was not made for two but Persy wasn't going to let that stop her. Gently removing the pillow from Tye's grip, she raised his arm and arranged herself so her back was pressed completely against his front before she draped his arm over her waist.

"Perse. I can't…"

"Sh," she cooed softly, drawing lazy circles on his arm with her finger, "you know I'll never make you try and talk when you don't want to." Her voice was quite, afraid that speaking any louder might break the calm that had descended upon them. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you suffer alone," she continued as she gingerly turned to face him, her body pressed tightly to his to prevent her from falling off the bed.

His eyes were glassy and Persy quickly raised her hand to wipe away a stray tear as it fell. The hand remained on his face, cupping his cheek as her dark eyes bore into his own. "You don't have to be strong all the time, Tye," she whispered, "not with me. We're family, and family supports each other. So, I'm here; and I won't ask questions. I just want you to know, you're not alone. You'll never be alone."

Her words seemed to break the dam that kept back his tears as Tye pulled her close and buried his head into her neck as he cried. Persy didn't say anymore; she simply held him impossibly closer as she ran her fingers through his hair. A singular tear fell down her cheek, her heart breaking at his pain; a pain she didn't know how to fight.

Her hold on him tightened as an idea sprang to mind; a memory of her mother that she had always held close.

"_A naoidhean bhig, cluinn mo ghuth_

_Mise ri d' thaobh, Ó mhaighdean bhàn_

_Ar rìbhinn òg, fàs a's faic_

_Do thìr, dìleas fhéin_

_A ghrian a's a ghealach, stiùir sinn_

_Gu uair ar cliù 's ar glòir_

_Naoidhean bhig, ar rìbhinn òg_

_Mhaighdean uasal bhàn._"

Persy was by no means as good a singer as her mother. When her mum had sung the sweet melody, it was like pure magic. However, Persy could still carry a tune relatively well; she wouldn't be winning any awards but the soft tenure of her voice and the song had done what she had wanted it to. Tye's soft breaths reached her ears, warm puffs of air fanning her neck as he slept and she felt herself relax as she lazily blinked her eyes.

It wasn't long before Persy followed Tye into the land of dreams.

* * *

**Only a short chapter today folks. Now, just to clarify a little on this chapter. Persy is Scottish on her mother's side. Her father was Charlie's brother which makes her America on her father's side. Persy's telepathy has to do with her mother but her inability to be control by Alex has everything to do with her father. This will be explained later if you stick around for that long and I really hope you do. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that chapter and please take a moment or two to leave me a review and tell me what you think so far. There will be many surprises in later chapter's and the events of twilight will only be a few chapters because I'm far too excited to get to New Moon to drag it out too long.**

**Also, for those who don't recognise this song; it's from the Brave and is called Noble Maiden Fair.**

**Okay, that's all from me for now.**

**Much Love,**

**Persephone. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, so we are only a few chapters away from beginning New Moon because I am eager to have the Three Kings more involved in my story. With that said, they will still have a few cameo's here and there. Throughout the story, I will be bringing in bits and pieces of Scottish mythology and folklore; if at any point this bothers anyone, I hope you find a story more to your liking. With that said, I still hope people will give this story a chance because I am in love with where I see this going. This story will not just include the Twilight movies but will continue into a very original plot line as well. In fact; once we get to the New Moon portions of this story, the chapters will become longer to accompany everything I wish to fit into this story. There will be plot twists, cliff-hangers, and surprises a-plenty throughout this story and I hope you guys take the time out to leave me a review and tell me how you're liking everything so far. **

**Much love,**

**Persephone.**

* * *

Persy had tried to ignore it but she couldn't any more. Tye was ignoring her; not just that, he was distancing himself from her and she had no idea what she had done to deserve it or how to go about fixing it either. Instead, she had tried to focus on other things; like her cousin's newest obsession. Of course, it would just have to be a Cullen; the very family she had been trying to ignore for almost a month.

Apparently, Edward had caught Bella's eye. Persy figured he was attractive in a sense though she couldn't think of one nice way to describe the ridiculous way he seemed to style his hair. Bella had, surprisingly, come to Persy a week after meeting Edward on her first day of school and Persy still couldn't believe the conversation she had had with her cousin.

_Persy had been about to settle into a warm bath when there was a knock on her door. She contemplated ignoring it for a moment before she sighed and shrugged into her robe. When she opened the door, it was to see Bella standing there awkwardly, her hand raised to knock again._

"_Bella?" Persy questioned; still finding it hard to believe she was standing there when she hadn't heard a word from her since the first day Bella had arrived in Forks. "Uh, hey," she continued after a moment's pause, "do you wanna come in?"_

_Bella nodded silently before brushing past Persy who closed the door before she led Bella into the kitchen and had her sit at the table as she went and put the kettle on. Both women were silent as Persy waited for the kettle to boil before she asked Bella how she liked her coffee. When both women were sitting at the table, Persy waited patiently as she watched Bella think over whatever it was that was bothering her._

"_Is there something wrong with me?" she finally blurted out before her cheeks turned pink and she looked back down at the table._

_Persy blinked owlishly before her eyes softened. "Why would you ask that?" she questioned gently._

"_I met this boy." And there was the first problem. "He was seated next to me in Biology and he seemed like he couldn't get far enough away from me. By the time the bell went he was the first person up and out of the room and then I ran into him again in the office and he was trying to get changed out of the class," Bella said in one long breath before she took a large gulp of her coffee._

"_It seems like this guy's just a jerk, Bells," Persy replied, "you shouldn't let the childish actions of some boy make you feel bad about yourself."_

"_I guess," Bella answered, biting at her lip unsurely, "and Jessica and Lauren said the Cullen's don't really go outside of their own little group so maybe it's just that?"_

"_The Cullen's?" Persy asked stiffly, "Alex Cullen?"_

_Bella shook her head, "Edward," she replied._

_Persy's shoulders relaxed only minutely as she studied her cousin closely. Should she tell Bella the Cullen's were vampires? Would Bella even believe her? Bella hadn't even believed her when she had tried to tell her that she was telepathic the last time they had spoken. So, why would she believe her about this? The only comfort Persy had was that the Cullen's couldn't get into Uncle Charlie's house unless the small relic she had placed in the attic was removed. _

"_Just forget about him, Bella," she said after a moment, "if he can't see how amazing you are than it's his loss."_

Of course, mentally, Persy had been screaming at the teenager that Edward was a vampire and any relationship with him was a doomed one. However, for fear of Bella thinking she was crazy, she kept her mouth shut. Bella was a smart girl and if she continued to pursue Edward she would come across the truth on her own. Persy just hoped she was intelligent enough to stay away from him once she did figure it out.

Persy didn't trust the Cullen's. Well, she didn't trust Alex and hearing about Edward gave her a feeling that she should be weary of him too. The feeling was what led her to decide to just avoid the entire family altogether. She didn't want to associate with a family that could willingly allow someone like Alex to live with them. Even though she had only been inside his head for a moment, she knew that he had never truly followed the Cullen's 'diet' and only did it enough to not rouse suspicions from the others. This Edward boy knew himself and yet he did nothing about it.

"Persy!"

She jumped at the sudden shout of her name and looked up to see Janie staring worriedly at her. Her boss had no recollection of what had happened that night almost a month ago and Persy knew better than to bring it up either. Persy physically shook herself from her musings and looked at the occupants of the table she had been serving before she had zoned out. "Sorry," she muttered, finishing collecting their orders before she hurried away to the kitchen.

Her shift was almost over and all Persy wanted to do was go home and bury her head under her pillows to block out the world. The idea wasn't as appealing as it used to be; she knew that Tye wouldn't be there like he usually was and the pit in her heart grew a little more at the thought. Uncle Charlie didn't come around as much either; work kept him busy and when he wasn't at work he was trying to reconnect with Bella. Persy didn't blame him; he had missed her so much and she couldn't fault him for wanting to spend as much time with Bella as he could.

She had taken the morning shift today; something she didn't usually do and now that it was nearing the afternoon she realised that she had gotten used to working nights and felt more tired than she should. Persy knew it wasn't entirely because of her shift either; she had been more and more stressed lately. No matter how hard she tried; Persy couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen very soon and it put her on edge.

"_Miss Swan?_"

Persy's head snapped up at the thought of a man she hadn't heard before. The voice held a tinge of a Southern accent and Persy felt her lips turn down in a frown at someone knowing they could communicate with her through her mind. As suddenly as the annoyance came, it disappeared and was replaced with calm. A calm she knew wasn't her own.

_Great, _she grumbled internally, _another vampire with powers._

"_I don't mean you any harm, Miss Swan; I merely wish to extend an invitation to you from my father._"

Persy shook her head before she slammed up her mental walls, wondering when she had even allowed them to come down. She didn't hear the voice again and none of the Cullen's came into the diner in the time it took for Persy's shift to end. When it was finally time for her to knock off, Persy practically ran from the diner and began making her way towards her house. It would be a long walk.

_Unless, _she began to think as her eyes darted to the forest. Persy felt, what felt like the first genuine, smile stretch her lips as she moved towards the forest. She looked around for a moment before she removed her shoes and socks and tightened her ponytail. With a deep breath, Persy stepped into the forest and began to run.

The moment she entered the forest, Persy felt a renewed sense of energy overpower her and she let loose a carefree laugh as she picked up speed. She had always loved running through the forest surrounding Forks but hadn't done so since everything that had happened with Alex. She had missed it all; the feel of the soil beneath her feet and the smell of the trees and grass. Persy missed the feel of the wind rushing through her hair and reached behind her to remove her hair from its confines before she allowed it to fan out behind her.

The wind rushed passed her face, caressing her cheek like an old friend as she jumped over fallen branches and upended roots. She weaved in and out of the trees, her smile growing as she danced across the forest floor; a childlike delight making her dark eyes brighten to an almost golden hue. Her chest heaved with every breath but Persy relished in the feeling as she pushed herself to move faster.

All too soon, Persy broke the tree line and stopped in front of her house. Her smile quickly fell away at the sight of two vampires waiting in front of her home patiently. Neither of them were ones she had met before in person, but she could recognise Doctor Cullen from the thoughts of the nurses at the hospital whenever she had needed to visit. By the way he gently held the woman standing beside him, Carlisle could only assume that she was his wife. Esme, she could recall someone thinking at some point.

She dropped her walls and extended her telepathy to reach the two vampires. She frowned when she only found surface thoughts before she remembered that Edward was also a mind reader; it made sense that they would learn a way to block him out of their heads when they didn't want him poking around in there.

"Miss Swan," Doctor Cullen began, moving forward with his hand outstretched only to stop when Persy recoiled. His smile became more forced and Esme's had completely dropped into a worried frown at Persy's obvious fear of them. "I can assure you that you will find no harm from me or my mate," he spoke gently, "we only wish to discuss a few things with you; if you are agreeable."

"I'm not," Persy spoke up before he had fully finished his sentence, "I'm really not agreeable. You both need to leave," she continued before she frowned, "and you can take the empath with you."

She saw the momentary surprise in their eyes before Doctor Cullen looked towards the forest and nodded. Persy could feel the moment the empath wasn't near them anymore because her fear and anger hit her like a freight train. She took a deep breath to steady herself before she fished her keys out of her pocket and purposefully strode past the two vampires.

"We wish to apologise for our sons actions against you," Esme told her softly.

"You're a month too late," she replied stoically.

"The events of that night have only recently been revealed to us," Doctor Cullen informed her, "my children did not see the initial need to inform us."

"What changed?" Persy questioned as she stepped over the threshold of her home and felt herself relax knowing they wouldn't be able to get in. She turned to look at them and saw them exchanging uncomfortable looks.

"Our sons obsession with you has only seemed to grow with distance," Doctor Cullen told her morosely, "we have discovered many disturbing pictures of you in his room and have come to learn that he has taken to watching you from a distance. We're fully aware that you know what we are, Miss Swan and so you must know how much danger this could present to you."

"I've been aware of that danger since Alex attacked me in the diner," she gritted out, feeling like her heart was going to stop at the new information presented to her. He had been watching her. He might not have been able to get into her home but that didn't stop him from stalking her and she hadn't had a clue that he was. She hadn't felt like she was being watch and Persy knew it was because she had been so distracted by everything going on with Tye. "Please, just leave me alone," she begged, flinching at how small her voice sounded, "all of you… just leave me alone."

She shut her door and leaned against it heavily, feeling her eyes sting with fresh tears. Persy took in a shuddering breath; she had been so happy only moments ago having been able to go on a run in almost a month and now she felt like he could have been there, watching and waiting to catch and hurt her. Persy knew she wouldn't have stood a chance against him; hurting him in the diner had been pure luck and had only served to further anger him.

Persy could have sworn she had only been crying against the wall for a few moments; so, when there was a knock on the door she felt herself stiffen as she prepared herself to deal with Doctor Cullen.

"I said leave me alone," she growled as she swung open the door with a glassy-eyed glare. Her glare soon vanished at the person standing in front of her and Persy felt her cheeks warm at her blunder. "Oh," she mumbled weakly, "hey, Billy; sorry about that. I thought you were someone else." She looked at the tall man standing behind her uncle's friend and frowned at his half-dressed appearance. "Who's this?" she asked, an eyebrow raising, "and why isn't he wearing a shirt?"

"Persy, this is Sam," Billy introduced, his eyes softening but his frown still firmly in place, "can we come in?"

Persy wanted to say no; she needed time to deal with everything she had just learnt. However, Billy wasn't just uncle Charlie's friend; he had also been a good friend of her father as well and she didn't want to be rude by turning him away. "Sure," she answered quietly as she opened the door further and moved away to allow Sam the room to wheel Billy into her home. "Can I get either of you anything?" she asked, remembering her manners as she directed everyone into her living room.

"I wouldn't say no to a cup of coffee," Billy answered, a smile finally stretching his lips as he looked her over.

"Sam?" she asked, looking at the man who was looking around her living room curiously, "coffee?"

"Just water, please," he replied, his voice deeper than she had anticipated.

"_I hope Billy's right about this girl," _she heard him think as she left the living room to prepare the drinks, "_she doesn't look like much of anything really."_

She gritted her teeth as she made Billy's coffee; familiar with how he liked it from all the times uncle Charlie and Billy had come to visit her. Persy made her way out of the kitchen a few moments later and handed Billy his mug before passing the cup of water over to Sam with a glare that had him frowning at her.

"_So much for first impressions,_" Billy thought and Persy would have smirked if she hadn't been so strung-up by everything that had been happening lately.

It wasn't until she caught wind of Sam's thoughts that Persy found herself distracted from her own problems. He was thinking about patrolling and Persy couldn't keep the surprise off her face when she saw him looking at his reflection by a small creek. She was seeing through his eyes and what she saw was not human. Instead, it was a giant wolf; much larger than should have been logically possible. It was all black and looked rather menacing as it growled at the body of water before it huffed and continued on its run.

"What are you?" she found herself asking before she could stop herself.

She saw both men stiffen and shrunk back into her chair as they gave her suspicious glares. Sam seemed to be shaking and Persy watched as Billy grew concerned at the sight of Sam's shaking figure. "Sam, calm down," he ordered firmly but it seemed to do very little for the large man.

Persy saw an image of Sam shaking before he suddenly turned into the large black wolf and found herself standing up and pointing at the front door before she said firmly, "outside. Now."

Sam didn't seem to want to argue with her as he pushed past her and she heard the door slam open before the sound of ripping fabric. Persy looked at the door for a moment before she turned her gaze back to Billy who was looking at her wearily.

"_How did she know what was going to happen?_"

"The same way you knew what was going to happen," she answered the unasked question, "you were thinking about it just now and I certainly didn't want my house being destroyed because of an angry wolf."

"You can read minds?" Billy asked, surprised, "for how long?"

Persy looked down at her interlocked fingers, afraid how Billy would look at her now that he was learning the truth. "My whole life," she said softly, "it's always been apart of me. Mum and Uncle Charlie tried to help me control it but every now and again I lose control or I purposely drop my walls."

"Charlie knows?" Billy continued to ask, even more surprised than previously.

"Mum had to tell him after I yelled a Renee for thinking about leaving Uncle Charlie."

Billy nodded, remembering Charlie telling him about the fight he and Renee had had that night. However, he never would have imagined that Persy had known because she was telepathic; he had always just assumed she had overheard Renee talking about it.

"Should we go see how Sam is doing?" she asked quickly when the silence dragged on; desperately wanting to change the subject.

"I'm fine," came a low voice from behind her, making Persy squeak as she turned to see him leaning against the doorframe.

Her whole face turned red before she quickly averted her eyes. "Why the hell aren't you wearing any pants?!" she exclaimed as she kept her eyes firmly planted on Billy who she could see was trying not to laugh.

"They don't exactly stay in one piece when I shift," Sam answered, unfazed by his nakedness.

"Up the stairs, third room on the left; you and Tye look about the same height," she said as she buried her head in her hands, "please, just go put something on."

Persy only looked up again when she heard Billy chuckle. She glared at the older man who merely grinned boyishly and winked at her. Persy shook her head but couldn't stop her own smile from forming on her face at his actions. Both their smiles soon fell when Sam entered the room, his eyes practically piercing through her as he moved to sit across from her own chair. His eyes were serious and his jaw was clenched as he studied her carefully.

"We'll get back to you explaining how you knew what I was without either of us telling you," he began as his hands clenched into fists, "for now, we have more important things we need to discuss."

"Such as?"

He took a large inhale before his eyes moved away from her and to the mantel above her fireplace where an intricate carving sat innocently. She watched him study it for a moment longer before he turned back to face her; his serious expression unchanging as he did.

"I think you already know, Persy."

She did; she just wished she had been wrong.


End file.
